Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold is dealing with rib and quad injuries. Head coach Mike Macdonald announced Darnold will be sidelined for Sunday's Week 9 game versus the Arizona Cardinals, and his recovery timeline is currently unclear. Don't be surprised if the offense looks better with Drew Lock under center for the foreseeable future.
It's no secret that Darnold has struggled mightily this season. He was originally injured in the regular-season opener versus the New England Patriots. Lock entered that contest and won it. Lock then threw three touchdowns in a Week 2 blowout win over the same Cardinals he'll start against this weekend.
Darnold hasn't performed admirably since his return to the lineup. Comparing the numbers, there's
no denying Lock was far more impactful. Lock has completed 72.9% of his passing attempts, compared to Darnold's 60.2%.
Lock has thrown four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Meanwhile, Darnold has thrown as many INTs (9) as he has TDs (9). Lock is averaging an aggressive 8.8 yards per attempt, to Darnold's 7.0.
Darnold also has more turnover-worthy-plays (12) than he does big-time throws (11), per Pro Football Focus. Lock has made 5 big-time-throws compared to just one TWP. Lock's quarterback rating is 127.3, while Darnold's is 79.5.
There really isn't a single metric of quarterback play where Darnold has been better than Lock this season. It'll be interesting to see what Lock does with this opportunity.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks offense may look better with Drew Lock at QB
